Is this the mathematical leap that opens the door to quantum computing hitting the mainstream? And in the quantum computing arms race, how will the other major league players (Amazon, Microsoft, Google) react?

2. Going Serverless

Serverless computing – a type of cloud service where hosting providers allocate resources on the fly rather than as dedicated servers in advance – have many potential benefits. Pay-as-you-go being a prime one.

Now a major technological breakthrough could see them become a reality sooner than many think.

And yet it is AI and quantum computing that are seen as the biggest next-gen influencers of IoT.

In truth it is the cloud, on the edge of a new frontier in computing, that will shape the IoT landscape. Simply because for it to succeed it needs backend service delivery infrastructure only the cloud can provide.

4. Artificial Intelligence

Speaking of AI… Most big tech companies have an AI project in the works, and they’re prepared to pay experts in the field millions to deliver it.

There is a massive talent shortage brewing here. And it needs to be addressed before AI goes mainstream.

5. Cybersecurity

The enterprise data center is rapidly evolving due to the pressures of mobility. Networks are expanding beyond measure and BYOD policies are becoming complaint across traditionally troublesome sectors such as government, health and corporate finance.

But with all this mobile innovation, high demand and even higher dependency, how do we keep everything secure?

I love where blockchain is heading. I think it has the potential to revolutionize many sectors, not just Fintech where it was spawned, but education, manufacturing, government and where we intimately site, in marketing.

While wind, hydroelectric and biomass offer alternatives, it appears evident that solar power is the future of low cost electricity.

Wow that so sounds like a plug!

8. Retail

“Retailers are racing to adopt new technologies… to stay competitive in a challenging industry. But experts say the trend toward automation threatens more jobs in a sector that is already slashing head counts.”

The end of an era maybe, but the startup will never die. Entrepreneurialism is the foundation of any great company, tech or no tech.

10. Big Brother

As the Chinese government plans to launch a new social credit system – to judge the trustworthiness of its 1.3 billion residents – where is social profiling heading? And what impact does such a system have on our personal, professional and most of all mental health?